In addition to the 3 Fleurs fragrance announced yesterday, Parfum d’Empire will also be launching Wazamba: “a forest of aromatic pine that reveals the thousand faces of incense, a sacred substance in all the great civilizations”.
The notes include aldehydes, incense, myrrh, sandalwood, opoponax…
French niche line Parfum d’Empire has launched 3 Fleurs, a “flamboyant floral” fragrance:
A floral fragrance flamboyant in its expression of the 3 emblematic flowers of love in all great civilizations: Rose, passionate love…
When my friend Maryann opened the door to greet me, she said, “You smell nice! At least it must be you, since nothing out front is in bloom yet.” It was late April and not even lilacs or lilies of the valley bloomed, let alone roses. But standing in the doorway I knew Maryann recognized the faint fragrance of an early summer garden in the morning, because I wore Parfum d’Empire Eau Suave Eau de Parfum.
In 2003, Marc Antoine Corticciato, the perfumer behind Parfum d’Empire, created Eau Suave in homage to Josephine’s Chateau de Malmaison, famed for its gardens including 250 varieties of rose. In an article on Malmaison, Princess Michael of Kent wrote that roses were a natural for Josephine:
Josephine was christened Marie-Joséphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie and she would be known as “Rose” from her birth until the day when the young General Bonaparte (who made a habit of changing women’s names) began a letter with: “Sweet and incomparable Josephine. I awake full of you and of the memory of our intoxicating night…” From that moment she would enter history as Josephine.
Pretty cheeky of Napoleon to change her name, but I guess you don’t get to rule most of Europe without being at least a little domineering…
While we’re on the subject of Serge Lutens Arabie’s extended family (see yesterday’s review of El Attarine), it’s worth considering Parfum d’Empire’s newish Aziyadé, a kissing cousin at the very least. Aziyadé is named for the main character — a harem girl — of the novel of the same name, and unless I’ve lost count, is the second fragrance from Parfum d’Empire to take inspiration from the Ottoman Empire (the first being Cuir Ottoman). Those of you who are familiar with the various olfactory portraits of this region will recognize the usual suspects in the notes: pomegranate, dates, almonds, orange, prune, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, carob, frankincense, vanilla, patchouli, musk and cistus.
Yes, Aziyadé is another specimen of the stewed fruits + curry spices genre, although the stewed fruits are mostly in the top notes, and they’re given some lift and tartness here by the pomegranate…
Parfum d’Empire has launched two more fragrances, Aziyadé and Yuzu Fou:
Erotic and fruity nectar, AZIYADÉ offers a blend of pomegranate before delivering the rich and lush note of crystallized dates, almonds, oranges, and prunes…